Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre smashes and chops just like the other table tennis players at the Paris Olympics, but when serving she uses the paddle in her left hand to throw the ball high.
That move, which now seems easy and natural, was what a seven-year-old Alexandre once struggled with the most as a one-armed girl who wanted to play the sport.
On Monday, she made history as the first Brazilian and only the third athlete to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics, following South African runner Oscar Pistorius and Polish table tennis player Natalia Partyka.
Photo: Reuters
Alexandre’s first Olympic journey was cut short by an unfortunate draw, with Brazil on Monday facing the world No. 1 South Korea team in the first round, but she managed to put up two good performances in losing her doubles and singles matches.
“It wasn’t the result I was hoping for, but we’re very satisfied with what we achieved,” said 29-year-old Alexandre after Brazil lost 3-1.
“We didn’t give up until the end. [South] Korea is one of the best teams. I managed to score some points, which made me very happy personally, and I’m very proud of my team for fighting until the end,” she said.
At three months old, Alexandre lost her arm due to a blood clot. She picked up table tennis aged seven and went on to win several championships plus a bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
“Never give up on your dreams, regardless of whether you have one leg or one arm. Believe that everything is possible. After 22 years of my career today I’m here at the Olympics,” she said.
Alexandre added that she was now eyeing gold in the Paralympics and plans to return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“There were other athletes who managed to play in the Olympic Games as well. I think this can help not only the sport, but also the inclusion of people with disabilities,” she said.
The Paralympics run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
RSS